Article
CBRE Finds Air Locker Training Its First Canadian Location
June 4, 2024 3 Minute Read
It’s a breathtaking deal.
Australian fitness banner Air Locker Training, a gym that simulates high-altitude environments by removing oxygen from the air, has arrived in Canada and is slated to open its first location, in Vaughan, ON, this summer.
CBRE’s Karlyn Knafo worked with Air Locker to secure the location, at 2338 Major MacKenzie Dr., near Keele St., the first of what her client hopes will be many gyms across Canada, including a future flagship in downtown Toronto.
Instead of using oxygen-throttling masks, Air Locker’s revolutionary concept enables clients to breath normally while compressors remove oxygen from the air, simulating the effects of training at an elevation of 11,000 feet.
“From elite athletes, traveling hikers and climbers to your average fitness enthusiast, altitude training is a great new way of training,” Knafo says. “Air Locker’s vision is to meet the growing demand for this by opening in major cities across Canada.”
From Down Under to The Great White North
Knafo was well-suited to help Air Locker Training set up shop in the GTA, having done eight deals for F45 locations; collectively her team has done more than 30 deals with F45.
“We have a good understanding of the parameters around what a fitness tenant is looking for, whether it’s the ceiling height, width of the building, base building systems, column spacing, or parking to name a few considerations,” says Knafo.
The owner of Air Locker’s Canadian business, Alina Pock, is a residential real estate agent by trade. “So she preferred to deal with a team that knows what it’s doing and understands fitness user requirements inside and out.”
A Challenging Search
Air Locker Training faced quite a few restrictions on where it could locate, based on the exclusive use agreements that shopping centres had with other fitness uses. “Vaughan is a saturated market when it comes to fitness,” Knafo says.
And zoning allowances for fitness use vary across the city. “So we weren’t able to go into just any area.”
At the location Air Locker ultimately decided on Knafo had to employ her powers of persuasion to convince the tenant next door to make a few adjustments to give her client a bit more room. “We asked if we could get 300 square feet of their space and move the demising wall, and they were kind enough to accommodate us.”
Knafo went to great lengths to find the right space for her client, and now Air Locker Training is finally set to introduce its unique concept to Canada.
“It feels like we climbed a mountain to get this concept rolling, but this is the beginning of something different and exciting for the Canadian fitness market,” she says. “I’m proud to be a part of it.”
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